Let us see how far above principles of variation apply to wild animals. Wild animals vary exceedingly little--yet they are known as individuals{47}. British Plants, in many genera number quite uncertain of varieties and species: in shells chiefly external conditions{48}. Primrose and cowslip. Wild animals from different [countries can be recognized]. Specific character gives some organs as varying. Variations analogous in kind, but less in degree with domesticated animals--chiefly external and less important parts. {47} i.e. they are individually distinguishable. {48} See _Origin_, Ed. i. p. 133, vi. p. 165. Our experience would lead us to expect that any and every one of these organisms would vary if <the organism were> taken away <?> and placed under new conditions. Geology proclaims a constant round of change, bringing into play, by every possible <?> change of climate and the death of pre-existing inhabitants, endless variations of new conditions. These <?> generally very slow, doubtful though <illegible> how far the slowness <?> would produce tendency to vary. But Geolog<ists> show change in configuration which, together with the accidents of air and water and the means of transportal which every being possesses, must occasionally bring, rather suddenly, organism to new conditions and <?> expose it for several generations. Hence <?> we should expect every now and then a wild form to vary{49}; possibly this may be cause of some species varying more than others. {49} When the author wrote this sketch he seems not to have been so fully convinced of the general occurrence of variation in nature as he afterwards became. The above passage in the text possibly suggests that at this time he laid more stress on _sports_ or _mutations_ than was afterwards the case.